Liu Fangniang never expected that her branch, which had used Zhou Yongli, would never return tonight.
Looking at the expressionless nanny and maid in the courtyard, she felt a tightness in her chest. She couldn't vent her anger or speak freely. Now, she couldn't even feel at ease in her own courtyard.
I don't know if sending someone to look for my grandmother yesterday yielded any results; we can't even see her now.
However, the old woman was quite capable. After being sent to the estate, she still managed to see Old Madam Liu. Although she could no longer see Liu Fangniang, she relayed the message to Old Madam Liu.
When Madam Liu saw that it was her mother who had sent someone to deliver the message, she found an opportunity to let Liu Fangniang go over.
The aunt and niece had a long talk, but little did they know that Song Xia would hear the exact words of their conversation.
It turned out that the old nanny could no longer enter the mansion, so they found the gatekeeper, who then found the old nanny who served Old Madam Liu. Coincidentally, both of them had been bribed by Song Xia.
"The Liu family said they don't have the medicine and have lost contact with that place or something."
Song Xia pondered, and just as she had predicted, Old Madam Liu did indeed possess a secret medicine, which had caused the death of Old Madam Zhou's legitimate son and Song Xia's own premature birth during her pregnancy with Yuqing.
Moreover, she was certain that Old Madam Liu and the other side would reconnect, otherwise how could the eldest son of the Marquis of Yong'an have suddenly died in her previous life?
She scrutinized the old nanny: "Did you know that the Liu family used to frequently give the old lady sachets?"
"The old lady of the Liu family used to love incense. I heard that she couldn't grow any flowers, so she stopped sending incense to the mansion. The incense the old lady used was all from the public coffers."
Song Xia looked at her, certain that the old woman didn't know.
Indeed, how could Old Madam Liu casually tell a servant about something so private? Even this time, the message wasn't very clear.
"Keep an eye on it. If the old lady has any dealings with the Liu family, be sure to inform them immediately."
"Yes, madam."
“You did a good job this time. Your grandson has already been assigned a job by the Prince’s Mansion. There are many powerful and entrenched forces in the capital. Even if he is assigned a job, it will be at the very bottom with no status. So he was given a job as a clerk in the county government in your hometown. Although the position is not high, it is still considered an official position in the local area.”
The old nanny was overjoyed and thanked her profusely. This was already a great surprise; she never expected that simply passing on a message to the lady would bring such a favor.
She was just a servant girl, but her grandson went back to his hometown and got a job, which was considered bringing honor to the family!
She had been by the old lady's side for so many years but had received nothing in return. The lady was truly generous and capable. She would definitely serve the lady more diligently in the future.
"Don't worry, Madam. The old lady usually tells this old servant everything. If there is any information, she will definitely inform me in time."
"Okay, go ahead, but don't let the people at Fushoutang suspect anything."
When the old nanny returned, she flattered Madam Liu and even maliciously spoke ill of the other two diligent maids, subtly getting Madam Liu to use the people Song Xia had placed there.
From then on, it could be said that apart from the people who served Zhou Yongli, the entire Zhou residence was under Song Xia's control.
That day, the accountant finally finished checking the account books from before she married into the Zhou family: "Madam, there are indeed problems with the account books."
Song Xia flipped through the document, then sneered. Old Madam Liu was really bold. Since the Zhou family elders were coming, why not take this opportunity to make things clear and then send someone to the Liu family to retrieve those valuables?
As for what to do with those who have already been taken advantage of and can't be won back, she doesn't lack them anyway; she just doesn't want these people to have an easy time.
Since learning that the elders from the Zhou family's ancestral home were coming, Old Mrs. Liu has been so worried that she couldn't eat and has visibly lost weight.
She had witnessed the power and prestige of the Zhou family elders when she was young; those self-important people didn't take her, a concubine, seriously at all.
Originally, her son inherited the Zhou family, and she didn't want to have any further contact with them. But then Song Xia married into the family and started sending gifts to them every year.
The gift-giving over the years has been fine, since she doesn't have to deal with it and it's out of sight, out of mind. But that wicked woman has been dead for so many years, why are these troublemaking clan elders coming to the capital to hold some kind of memorial service? Aren't they bored?
Song Xia calmly advised, "I guess it's because the old lady's family is showing signs of resurgence after her passing. Mother, you can't be willful for the sake of your husband's future."
Madam Liu could only stare blankly. She also suspected that Song Xia was behind it all, but she couldn't understand Song Xia's purpose in doing so. After all, with so many people coming, wasn't it Song Xia who was busy?
Little did she know that Song Xia was not afraid of trouble at all. There were plenty of maids in the mansion, and the managers were shrewd. People from the Zhou family would also be mindful of her feelings. What did she have to worry about? It was just a matter of spending some money.
She had never had a chance to recover all the money that the aunt and niece had taken from the Liu family before. Now she was just taking the recovered money in advance and letting the Zhou family elders suffer for them.
On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, the Zhou clan elders arrived in the capital. Song Xia personally led Zhou Yuqing to greet them at the gate. Zhou Yongli was unwilling to ask for leave for them, and Old Madam Liu also claimed to be ill and did not come out. As for Liu Fangniang, she was a concubine and was not qualified to greet the clan elders. As for Yingjie, since Zhou Yongli had personally instructed her not to leave the courtyard at will, Song Xia did not call her.
Therefore, the elders had a very good impression of Song Xia and Zhou Yuqing, but a very bad impression of the other people in the mansion.
Do they still remember how Zhou Yongli refused to associate with them after inheriting the Zhou family? It was only after Song Xia entered the family that he continued to send gifts to the clan and support the clan's children's education.
So how could they not give Song Xia face this time?
Holding a memorial service for Old Madam Zhou is wonderful! Not only can they come to the capital to enjoy themselves, but they can also give that Liu family a hard time. There's nothing better than this.
As for whether they will offend Zhou Yongli, that's a joke. Song Xia usually arranges the gift-giving, and Song Xia's son will inherit the Zhou family mansion in the future. Whether their relationship with Zhou Yongli is good or not is no longer important, since they have never been good anyway.
"You've worked hard, County Princess." Since everyone had something to ask of Song Xia, and it wasn't appropriate to address her as "Grand-nephew's wife" or "niece-in-law," they called her "County Princess."
"The elders have just had a long journey and have been arranged to rest in a courtyard. Please come and wash up so we can welcome you back and cleanse yourselves of the journey."
"That would be perfect." Everyone chatted and laughed. When they arrived at the courtyard, they found the house warm and comfortable, with maids and servants to serve them. They were extremely satisfied, feeling that this trip was definitely worthwhile.
In the evening, Zhou Yongli returned, and Song Xia arranged a lavish dinner to entertain him. This time, Old Madam Liu and Liu Fangniang finally attended. However, Old Madam Liu no longer sat at the main table as usual, but sat alone at a small table, while Liu Fangniang stood behind Song Xia to serve her.
Throughout the entire process, Zhou Yongli and his mother had dark faces. It was only because Song Xia kept them calm that the atmosphere didn't fall, which made the Zhou family elders, as well as the mother and son, even more dissatisfied.
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